Fluttershy accidentally steps on an ant
by ernestgoestocamp
Summary: After shopping at the Ponyvile marketplace, Fluttershy finds an unexpected visitor at her cottage. However, things get bad when she accidentally steps on the poor creature. As a result, Fluttershy desperately tries to bring the recently deceased ant back.


It was a regular day in the outskirts of Ponyvile: the birds were chirping, there were sweet lovable animals that were prancing about in the soft meadow and the insects were collecting their daily necessities. Fluttershy, one of the most caring ponies in all of Ponyvile and beyond, was walking down a dirt road from the town with her daily groceries for all the numerous animals she had to take care of for the day.

Today was a sunny day and there were hardly any clouds to be seen in the vicinity, it was the perfect day for Fluttershy to bond with all her animals at her cottage.

While walking down the dirt road that lead to her home, Fluttershy heard a familiar tune that hit her ear drums, she looked up toward the sky with instinct to find the source of the sound; the sun's light radiated on her face as a result, she saw numerous birds flying by her.

"Oh...how is the weather today for you?" The Pegasus asked the birds above her, they chirped back in response as they flew next to her, "That's nice to hear...I'll be at the cottage during feeding hour, so please don't be late, you don't want miss your breakfast...do you?"

The birds chirped happily as they flew away. The yellow Pegasus smiled. It was really the best time of the year, the animals were always better to socialize with during this month, March.

The only problem Fluttershy had was to feed all 6,248 of her animals, yes…she actually counted the number of domesticated animals she had. Actually, 90% of that large number pertains to the numerous ants that Fluttershy takes care of at her cottage.

The groceries, which Fluttershy had kept in her pink bag on her side, contained all the types of food that Fluttershy will need to feed all her animals with. Although the process of having Fluttershy get the food and then having to know which specific kind of food was meant for each species made Fluttershy sometimes stressful, she nonetheless did her daily work with impeccable effort.

The Pegasus arrived to her cottage with all the groceries; she began to hum a familiar tune from "May the best pet win" as she opened the door and set the groceries down. After she closed the door behind her, she saw a rather impatient bunny waiting for her across the room.

"Oh…I'm sorry I took so long Angel, the market place was full of ponies and…" The Pegasus stopped mid-sentence as she observed her cute little bunny. Her talking appeared to have no effect on the little fur ball. In fact, it made him much more impatient as Fluttershy heard a loud gurgle from the bunny's abdomen. The Pegasus giggled as she reached into her Pink bag and took out a plastic bag that contained fresh salad. She then emptied the bag into a bowl of salad and then she placed it neatly next to the white bunny.

"It's your favorite, Angel"

She eagerly waited for him to devour the poor salad as she smiled with a glimmer of hope. Sadly, the bunny rejected the piece of green mush and crossed his arms in disappointment.

"Now Angel…I've gone a long way to get you what you wanted…" Fluttershy said as she began to stare at the little white creature. Suddenly, Angel's demeanor changed completely as he began to eat the salad. Fluttershy smiled as she took out a box full of vegetable goodness and went toward a red door that lead outside to where most of her animals resided. The pony called for all the animals that associated themselves with the particular cuisine. Fluttershy then repeated the same process with different animals and with different types of cuisines. After several minutes, Fluttershy was almost done with most of the animals until she realized that there was one more type of animal to take care of, her ants. While many kinds of insects got their food from plants, these particular ants strictly needed seeds. Why seeds only? You can only begin to imagine how Fluttershy would feel if she saw the ants carrying a dead caterpillar into their mound one morning.

In order to ensure that none of the ants Fluttershy had would not be dissatisfied, or die for that matter, she unpacked various amounts of seeds and then set them on the ground carefully. The Pegasus slowly tucked her wings and inspected her work. The ants immediately sprang into action; they flawlessly worked together as they took the seeds into the large mound. Fluttershy cautiously walked around the mound and made sure every ant made it in safely.

"Just a few more seeds everybody" Fluttershy said softly. The ants understood every word as they waved toward the Pegasus, needless to say that she smiled as a response.

Suddenly the door swung open as Angel, who SOMEHOW opened the door with no effort, came outside with the bowl of salad. Fluttershy did not notice him come out as she kept inspecting the ant's progress. Angel rushed toward the Pegasus in haste.

"You're doing a great job, Hilbert. Oh…and you too Claude" Fluttershy said softly as Angel tucked on the pony's tail, "Angel…I'm busy with the ants at the moment…if you don't mind"

However, Angel got the pony's attention as he threw a small carrot at the Pegasus. After she was hit, she saw the carrot fall on some of the marching ants.

"No! Angel…why did you do that!" Fluttershy yelled as she removed the carrot from the ground and tried to spot any casualty. Fortunately, no ant was hurt. The pony sighed softly as she cautiously walked toward Angel, "You know better than to disturb me when I'm around the ants, Angel, you could have hurt one of them!" Fluttershy said.

The bunny simply held out the salad toward the pony and gestured a piece of lettuce. Fluttershy looked confused as she inspected the half eaten salad. Angel rolled his eyes as he directed the pony toward a small leaf. To her surprise, Fluttershy saw a small harvester ant that was eating the leaf. She gasped.

"Angel…thank goodness you brought the salad to me, only Celestia knows what would have happened if you accidentally ate the ant…"

Angel looked confused as he saw the ant; he rolled his eyes in response. Angel then made a gesture, which got Fluttershy's attention again as she cautiously took the ant and laid it on her hoof.

"Dressing…oh Angel…is that what you came out here for?" Fluttershy said, shocked that Angel didn't care about the poor animal. Angel nodded and Fluttershy sighed.

"The dressing is in the brown drawer, where it's always been…" Fluttershy said as she spread her wings to float several feet above the ground.

"You won't mind if I ask…but where did you come from little guy?" Fluttershy whispered to the ant.

Strangely enough, the ant understood and made several motions that Fluttershy, herself, understood as well.

"The market place…oh dear…you poor thing…you must have accidentally got trapped in the bag while you were looking for food"

The ant nodded softly, "Well, don't you worry. I will take you back home, you can count on me" Fluttershy concluded as she flew toward the dirt road

(Page turn. After the whole opening credits and whatnot)

As Fluttershy flew as gently as she could across the dirt road she ran into Applejack, whom was carrying a large portion of apples on a cart alongside her brother, Big Macintosh. The orange pony gestured Big Macintosh to stop and greet the yellow Pegasus.

"We're ya off too, Fluttershy?" Applejack asked

"Oh…I found this ant and well…I'm taking him home" The yellow pony simply said

Applejack and Big Mac looked at each other with confused expressions before attempting to hide their laughter from the Pegasus.

Fluttershy looked back with embarrassment as she saw the ridiculous expressions on her fellow friends.

Applejack regained her composure, "Fluttershy, I don't mean to act like a filly, but it's an ant…" Fluttershy had a shocked expression, "It's a person…" Fluttershy said softly as she flew a few feet away from the others and landed on the ground. She then set the ant down on the floor.

"Stay here, I'll be right back...I don't want you to hear this...if you don't mind..." The Pegasus said softly as she walked toward her friends.

"Listen Fluttershy; don't take what I just said the wrong way…" Applejack replied

"Are you saying that Ants…don't have the same…feelings as we do?" Fluttershy said in her assertive voice.

"No…it's just…well…an ant: they eat our food, crawl around our counters, and they are downright nasty" Applejack protested.

"Yeeeup" Big Macintosh added.

Fluttershy stood there amazed, surprised that her friend said such a thing.

"I don't…believe…what I'm hearing…" Fluttershy said as she backed away.

"Listen sugar cube, ants are just like Parasprites…they only exist to annoy folks of Ponyvile" Applejack retorted

"Yeeeup"

"Applebloom sometimes comes to the farm crying to me about how one of these varmits that's bit 'er in the leg" Applejack retorted.

Fluttershy suddenly crossed her eyebrows, "Shame on you Applejack…for thinking that ants are nothing but pests"

"Well...they are" Applejack retorted as she rolled her eyes

Fluttershy began to walk away, to where the harvester ant was, as she closed her eyes and kept her head turned toward the fading Applejack.

"Shame on both of them for thinking that ants are like that…I can't believe my own friends thought…"

Suddenly...Fluttershy heard a crunch sound thanks to her delicate ears. The pony opened her eyes to examine the source of the noise. She looked down toward the ground; the ant was nowhere to be found, and she was sure this was the place where she left the ant. Fluttershy suddenly began to hyperventilate in response, frantically searching for the missing ant. Then one thought entered her mind, the noise. Fluttershy hesitated for a few seconds before lifting her hoof; the pony's eyes dilated. As a result, the loudest yell in Equestrian history could be heard throughout the valley.

"N..n..no…no!...NO! I couldn't have! This can't be happening! Mr. Ant...can you hear me! Answer please!" Fluttershy said as she inspected the crushed ant on her hoof. She began to cry violently as a result from seeing the animal's form. Applejack and Big Machintosh, without the cart, rushed to Fluttershy's aid.

"What's wrong sugar cube!" The orange pony said as she sat down next to Fluttershy

"I…I stepped on the ant…" Fluttershy said softly.

"Wh…what?" Applejack said as she looked at Fluttershy's hoof, she immediately rolled her eyes in response, "Fluttershy…it's just an ant for crying out loud!" Applejack retorted

Fluttershy looked up at her friend in pain, "How can you be so…insensitive…"

"For the love of Pete, Fluttershy…It's a tiny little thing!" Applejack replied

Fluttershy stood up and pushed Applejack with her other hoof and ran off to her cottage. Applejack recovered and looked surprised with a hint of regret. She turned toward her brother, "Big Mac, mind if you finish this here work alone?"

"Yeeeup"

(Page turn)

Fluttershy rushed to her cottage with the ant still on her hoof. The pony opened the door and shut it quickly as she softly set the ant on a table. The only thing on her mind right now was to help the poor ant from its world of pain. Fluttershy suddenly took out a head mirror from her pink bag; she then wore the mirror on her head as she got a stethoscope.

The yellow pony began to sweat vigorously, "P…please…" Fluttershy said as she somehow checked for the creature's pulse with a light touch of her stethoscope, which doesn't make any sense but just assume it's possible to do such a thing anyway. Unfortunately, the poor thing did not respond.

"No pulse…"

Fluttershy examined the lower part of the ant to find a strange inscription on it: blood type…B+

"Angel! I need the IV…B+, stat!"

Angel looked confused as he randomly took out a small IV with blood in it from a medical drawer and handed it to Fluttershy. He then stood on the table and rolled his eyes after he found out who the patient was. He suddenly made a noise that Fluttershy responded to, "Oh Angel, I know ants don't have the same blood as we do…but we have to try everything that is available to us!"

More sweat fell from the pony's forehead.

"I need the oxygen tank as well!" Fluttershy commanded as Angel grunted as he went toward the cabinet again and brought an oxygen tank. Fluttershy set the tiny mask over the ant's mouth.

For SOME reason that can't be explained, Fluttershy pulls out a small Heart monitor and manages to attach it to the ant to see its heart rate, which showed to be at 0. Fluttershy shrieked in frustration.

"Angel! I need the defibrillator, hurry!" Fluttershy yelled

Angel went back to the medical drawer and brought out a small-sized defibrillator and handed it towards Fluttershy.

"Please work…" Fluttershy said as she rubbed the defibrillator components together and yelled, "Clear!" as she softly placed them on the abdomen of the ant as it sent a surge of electricity into the bug. However, it did not work. This only made the yellow pony more stressful.

She continued to perform the same process over and over. However, it all ended in failure. With each failed attempt, Fluttershy's realization for the ant slowly hit her harder than anything that had ever happened to her before. It was dead and there was nothing she could do to bring the poor thing back. Fluttershy slowly removed the defibrillator and heart monitor and cried silently. Then, a knock on the door alerted Fluttershy. She went over to check to see who it was and it turned out to be Applejack.

"G…go away…" The Pegasus softly cried

"Listen sugar cube, I'm sorry about all that from earlier…"

*Sniff*

"Sugar cube…I'm sorry, if there's anything I can do…tell me"

"Don't…worry about it…it's already too late…" Fluttershy said softly.

"Now Fluttershy…you can't let these things get to you"

"I…killed an ant…I tried to save him but it was too late, I bet not even magic…"

Then suddenly, Fluttershy found a glimmer of hope surge through her veins, "That's it!"

"Wh…what?" Applejack took a step back as Fluttershy flew into her face, "Twilight's Magic!" Fluttershy entered the house once again and came out holding the deceased ant. The yellow Pegasus then took flight, leaving a confused earth pony behind.

Fluttershy flew faster than ever before, quickly gaining speed as she approached Ponyvile. She saw Rainbow Dash, who was resting on a low lying cloud. The Blue-Colored Pegasus heard noises as she stood up and saw Fluttershy coming towards her direction.

"Hey Fluttershy…what's the r…" Suddenly, the yellow pony zipped past the blue pony in the blink of an eye.

"Rush…"

(Page turn)

Fluttershy reached her destination, the library, as she floated in the air and frantically knocked on Twilight's door.

"Twilight! Please open up!…if you don't mind" Fluttershy kept banging on the door until the door swung open and Twilight was accidentally punched in the face by Fluttershy.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Twilight!" The yellow pony said, rushing to Twilight's aid.

The purple unicorn rubbed her nose as she spoke, "It's alright, but why are you so hyped up today?"

"This ant…is in desperate need of your magic!" Fluttershy said, displaying the ant in front of Twilight's face.

"Um…what for exactly?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

Fluttershy landed on the ground and folded her wings, "You see…I accidentally…stepped on him…"

"Alright?" Twilight replied

Fluttershy, holding back her frustration, responded

"So I was thinking…maybe you could…revive him with your magic?" Fluttershy smiled as she begged, "Please?"

Twilight's expression changed, "Fluttershy…I don't have time for this. Today is reshelfing day for me and if I don't have all these books organized, then I will surely go mad. Also, the Princess is coming this afternoon!"

Then suddenly, Fluttershy held the door by force before Twilight could close the door completely, "If I don't get this ant back to good health then I am sure to go mad first!" Then suddenly, Fluttershy took her hoof off the door, "What if…Princess Celestia finds out about my wrong doing…oh my…"

"Now Fluttershy…the Princess is not going to…"

"What if she sends me to the dungeon for a thousand years? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY DO TO PONIES LIKE ME IN DUNGEONS!"

Twilight stood there, amazed by Fluttershy's outburst. When Fluttershy saw her mistake, she sighed softly.

"I'm sorry Twilight…I just…need this ant to come back…I can't live my life knowing that I killed somebody"

"Alright, I'll…help your little ant I guess, come in"

Fluttershy returned to her normal mood as she walked alongside Twilight.

"Well Fluttershy…I only know about healing spells for the living, but perhaps I can conjure a special spell that can bring your ant back to life with no problem at all"

Fluttershy cautiously hugged Twilight because of the ant on her hoof, "Oh thank you, thank you!"

(Page turn)

A few minutes gone by as the ant sat dead on the middle table at the center of the library. Fluttershy could hear someone coming down from the stairs, it was no doubt: Spike.

"Twilight…the toilet is clogged!" Spike said as he stopped at ground level, "Oh hi Fluttershy, what are you guys doing?"

Twilight, who was searching books on how to revive dead animals, looked up toward the baby dragon, "Fluttershy wants me to revive a friend of hers"

Spike looked toward the creature that rested on the table, "An ant?"

Fluttershy looked angrily at Spike, "Is there a problem with him being an ant?"

Spike gestured his hands in a non-threatening motion, "No no! I'm just curious that's all!"

Fluttershy turned back toward Twilight, "Oh Twilight…did you find anything yet?"

"Not yet"

Spike stood next to the ant, "Now that I think about it…I don't think you guys should mess around with the dead…"

"And just why not!" Fluttershy retorted

"Calm down Fluttershy" Twilight added as she continued to look for a spell

"Well…what if it becomes a zombie ant!" The dragon said

"Spike…that's ridiculous…" Twilight replied

"It might be possible!" Spike said as he went toward Twilight and yanked on her forelegs to get her attention, "Hear me out Twilight…"

"Spike, if you're so worried, go upstairs…"

"That's the thing…what if it bites one of you!"

Twilight sighed, "You can torch it with your fire breath if that's the case"

A few seconds passed before, "I think I found a spell!" Twilight said

Fluttershy, with all the excitement in her soul spewing out from of her expression, stood by Twilight

"Really!"

"I believe so, let me try it out and see" Twilight said as she approached the table with the book, her horn was emitting a purple glow as she read the instructions with her book carefully as It floated in the air.

"For thou who sleeps in stone and clay, heed this call, rise and obey"

Fluttershy was actually freaking out when she saw that the room started to get darker and darker. Spike stood behind her, chattering his teeth as he watched.

"Drag on to the mortal door, assemble flesh and walk once more!"

Twilight's horn suddenly emitted a very powerful blast that went straight toward the ant; everyone in the room had to shut their eyes from the blinding light that stood before them. Then, as the light ceased, Twilight inspected her work as the environment returned to its original brightness.

The ant was indeed moving, but something didn't seem quite right.

"Well Fluttershy…he's alive. You can thank me later" Twilight said

"Something is odd about him" Fluttershy said softly as she inspected her friend

"I was right all along!" Spike retorted as he hid behind Fluttershy. The ant appeared slightly discolored and it actually looked as though it was limping like a zombie.

"Fluttershy slowly walked toward the ant as Spike stayed behind to look for a place to hide.

"Mr. Ant…are you okay…how are you feeling?"

"Ghhh…..nar…..ghhh…" It simply replied

"Hungry?" Fluttershy said

As Fluttershy laid her hoof on the table, the ant responded as white foam escaped from its mouth. It jumped on the yellow pony's hoof and tried to bite the area off. Fluttershy reacted.

"Mr. Ant? What are you doing!" Fluttershy said as she tried to get the ant off her hoof but at the same time make sure it would not come to harm.

"Not only is it a zombie, but it also has rabies too!" Spike shouted as he hid behind a chair.

Twilight stood there confused, "Did I say the spell wrong?"

"Oh sweet Celestia! It's trying to zombify Fluttershy!"

As the ant tried to bite Fluttershy's hoof off, Twilight went and searched for a way to reverse the spell. Spike looked all over the place to find a suitable weapon to use, the chair he was hiding on. He picked up the small chair and ran toward Fluttershy.

"Don't worry Fluttershy! I'm coming!"

The yellow pony looked back and gasped at the charging dragon, "Spike...no...don't!"

But it was too late, Spike tried to squish the bug with the chair on Fluttershy's hoof. Fortunately, Fluttershy was agile enough to block the incoming attacks while avoiding the zombie ant's biting.

"Twilight…make him stop!" Fluttershy retorted

"Already on it" Twilight said as her horn glowed; the ant immediately stopped moving as a result. Fluttershy had to catch the poor thing as it fell from her hoof, lifeless. As this was happening, Spike charged one more time before falling on to the ground, when Fluttershy ducked to save the falling ant, with a broken chair sitting beside him. Fluttershy set the ant gently on the table again. Peace once again dominated the space of the library. Spike hesitated as he walked by Twilight.

"Is…is it over...is it gone?" The dragon asked.

"Yup…the spell has been reversed"

"What about Fluttershy…what if…she becomes a zombie?"

"Spike! There are no such things as zombies! It was just a spell error!"

Fluttershy kept staring at the deceased ant in emotional pain as Twilight stood by her, "I'm sorry Fluttershy. I tried everything I could; I don't even think there is an actual spell that can bring any creature back to life. I hope you understand"

"I…understand…" Fluttershy said as she kept staring at her friend for a few more seconds. Suddenly, the door opened and a familiar orange pony entered.

"Twilight…have you seen…Fluttershy!" Applejack said as she walked next to the yellow pony.

"Fluttershy, as much as I'm sorry, you can't let these things drive ya crazy. I reckon you've already bothered Twilight about it. You should just forget about this…things like this happen…it's a natural…" the orange pony said

"No…I WILL bring him back! I have to!" Fluttershy interrupted as she walked back and forth across the library, thinking of another way to solve this issue. Fluttershy suddenly thought of another idea.

"Maybe…Pinkie Pie has the answer to my problem!"

"Oh brother…" Twilight rolled her eyes

"Fluttershy…don't go on wasting yer time like this...it's just an..." Applejack retorted, she mentally slapped herself after she realized her mistake.

Fluttershy suddenly confronted Applejack once more, "Applejack…you're a selfish, insensitive pony…you have a lot to think about this…" The yellow pony said as she walked out of the library with the ant.

"Fluttershy...don't do this...Fluttershy!"

(Page turn)

Fluttershy entered a tent that housed the lovable Pinkie Pie; she was wearing a strange hat and scarf. The environment was dark but Fluttershy could see various objects that laid on the bookshelves, books. Other objects that served no purpose whatsoever hanged from the ceiling.

"Oh hi Fluttershy, did you come to ask me how to solve your little problem with MR. Ant?" The pink pony asked as she sat on a weird pillow.

Fluttershy had a confused expression, "Well…yes…but how did you…"

"Know? Well that's why Madame Pinkie Pie has a successful career here in Ponyvile! Feel free to sit down!"

Fluttershy acknowledged as she walked slowly to the table with the ant still on her hoof, "Pinkie Pie…I was wondering if you know anything about…"

"Bringing the dead back to life?" Pinkie Pie interrupted

"Well…yes and how to"

"Not make him become a zombie?" Pinkie Pie interrupted again

"Yes…" Fluttershy said as the conversation got awkward.

"Well…for the answers you seek, let us consult the mystical orb of fate and destiny" Pinkie Pie said as she brandished her mystical orb.

"Okay…" Fluttershy softly replied

"Look deep into the crystal ball…what do you see?"

Images began to form inside the crystal ball; it was Princess Celestia, Fluttershy responded with a shriek.

"I see…the princess"

"And?" Pinkie Pie asked

"She's talking to me about something…"

"And?"

"Something important…"

"And?"

"She's going to lock me into a dungeon forever!" Fluttershy began to cry

Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow, "Well that's not a very happy ending for an episode"

Fluttershy wiped a tear off her eye as she walked toward Pinkie Pie. She laid a hoof on the earth pony, "Oh Pinkie Pie…there must be something you can do!"

Pinkie Pie laid a hoof on her muzzle, "Well…maybe there is!"

"*Sniff* Really?" Fluttershy said as she walked back

"Well of course silly! We can always sing!" Pinkie Pie said as music, out of nowhere, began playing

"W…what?" Fluttershy took several steps back as a result

Then Pinkie Pie suddenly jumped on the table and kicked the crystal ball where it fell on the floor and shattered. She began to dance in front of Fluttershy and her deceased ant.

"Pinkie Pie!"

The earth pony looked at her broken crystal ball and looked back, "Don't worry! It'll be fine in the next frame!"

"W…what do you mean…" Fluttershy looked back and indeed the crystal ball had returned to its normal shape and it was sitting perfectly on the floor.

"See, sing along Fluttershy!"

"How did you..."

**== You're gonna be a shining star, fancy clothes, fancy car-ars ==**

"Pinkie Pie, can you do that to the ant? Can you bring him back with this "Frame"" Fluttershy retorted

**== And then you'll see, you're gonna go far==**

"Pinkie Pie..."

**==Cause everyone knows, who you are-are==**

"Singing is not what I meant by helping the ant…"

**==So live your life, ay ay ay==**

Fluttershy sighed

**==instead of chasing that paper==**

"Pinkie Pie...please stop…"

**==Just live your life (Oh!), ay ay ay==**

The yellow Pegasus then started to walk out of the tent in frustration as the pink pony continued to sing her song joyfully.

(Page turn)

Fluttershy spent the next hour searching for anypony that could possibly help with her dilemma, most of them being unicorns, but they all ended up giggling at the yellow pony's ridiculous request. Fluttershy even ventured into the Everfree forest in search of Zecora, who was the last person that could possibly help her. However, even Zecora had failed in bringing the ant back to life. As time gone by, the yellow Pegasus was slowly succumbing to madness as she saw Celestia's guards in Ponyvile; they were making sure that Princess Celestia's trip to Ponyvile would not be an unfortunate one.

With no one else to help her, Fluttershy tried to find her own ways to revive the ant: one of them being Fluttershy doing a pagan ritual to try and bring the poor thing back, but unfortunately they all failed just like everything else. Fluttershy's hair soon became a mess as she slowly became insane.

As she entered the town of Ponyvile once again, she saw several guards at the market place. The guards looked toward Fluttershy and saw her. She quickly took cover behind a wall. The guards walked down the street to where Fluttershy was hiding from.

"Okay Fluttershy…you can't let these buffoons know what happened…it is top priority that Celestia does not find out!" Fluttershy began to laugh softly to herself as she hid. As the guards approached the edge, Fluttershy sprang out into action and attacked the guards, with her soft kicks.

"Take that…and that...and that!" Fluttershy yelled, her feeble attempts did no damage to the steel plated armor. Then Fluttershy saw their faces, they knew she killed the ant! Oh no...even worse...they saw the ant on her hoof! Fluttershy mentally slapped herself.

"Mrs. Fluttershy…what are you doing?" One of the guards asked

"I know what both of you are up to, and I won't let you tell Princess Celestia!" Fluttershy retorted as she still held the ant on her hoof while standing her ground.

The other guard, with a darker pattern of fur, spoke up, "Tell her about what? That we are getting her a slice of pie from the Marketplace?"

"Exactly…what. No! That I murdered a poor defenseless ant and that you are going to snitch on me to Princess Celestia!"

The two guards looked at each other and then back to the yellow pony.

"Are you okay Mrs. Fluttershy?" The lighter colored guard asked as he calmly went toward the yellow pony. This resulted in Fluttershy releasing a large amount of exhaust from her nostrils.

"Stand back! You'll never take me alive!" Fluttershy said as she pointlessly flew above the guards and then flew down toward the market place. The other guards looked with confusion.

(Page)

Applejack had been looking for Fluttershy for a few hours now; she heard from other ponies about how she was causing chaos in some parts of Ponyvile. Some ponies remember seeing Fluttershy attempting to help her ant with any improvised methods that she could find, which only resulted in a big mess being left behind. The market place was now a landfill, littered with many disgusting left overs of items that Fluttershy used to try and help her ant.

When Applejack asked Lyra where Fluttershy could be, the unicorn pointed toward the Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh no…" Applejack said softly as she heard chaos inside the building. Applejack galloped toward the door and was about to open it until the door swung open and hit Applejack in the face. The orange pony fell backward toward the ground where she was greeted by the insane yellow Pegasus: Fluttershy's right pupil was larger than her left, her mane was a huge mess and her yellow coat was drenched in various unidentifiable stains.

"Applejack! There you are, I need your apples for the ant!" The yellow pony yelled as Mrs. Cake came out of the building in shock

"Fluttershy…where are you taking my cake!"

"Oh…don't worry Mrs. Cake…your delicious entree is bound to resurrect my little friend here…" Fluttershy said as she put the ant inside the frosting, "The cake could be the answer to my problem!" Fluttershy laughed as the frosting hit her derped expression.

"Fluttershy, stop acting all weird!" Applejack demanded as she stomped her hoof down.

"Weird! Not I, but do you remember who was the one that said ants were like parasprites!" Fluttershy took the ant out of the frosting and then threw the cake backwards to where it fell on Mrs. Cake, the poor pony screamed as she entered her home and locked the door.

Fluttershy began walking toward Applejack in a threatening motion, "Now I see that it was not my fault at all! It was you who did all this!"

Applejack stood her ground, "Me! Now yer going to blame me fer stepping on this here ant!"

"Why yes…Applejack…it was you who laughed at me when I first saw you…and it was you who made me walk toward Mr. Ant without looking where I was going!"

Applejack looked confused, "You're the reason why Mr. Ant is dead!" Fluttershy retorted

"Sugar cube…let this go…it's over! The ant is dead! There's nothin' you can do to bring this here ant back" Applejack said

"No…I will keep trying…you can't stop me!" Fluttershy yelled as she prepared to pounce on Applejack.

"Fluttershy!" A loud voice echoed throughout the area, Fluttershy immediately depicted the familiar sound with her ears. It was the princess, walking down the street toward her.

"No…no! You'll never take me in! I will not be thrown into a dungeon for a thousand years! I WILL find help for him, with or without anypony's help!" Tears began to fall from Fluttershy's eyes as she laughed. She began to spread her wings to fly away from Applejack and the Princess.

"Fluttershy…will ya stay put for just a minute!" The orange pony yelled as she took out her rope from her orange bag and then twirled it around. She then proceeded to capture the hovering Pegasus with her rope. It was successful and Fluttershy struggled against the rope. Applejack yanked her rope with her tail, so that Fluttershy could be forced toward the ground. The Pegasus fell on the soft dirt but kept squirming all over the place as the rope held her in place.

"You ain't leaving" Applejack retorted

"Fluttershy stop this at once!" The Princes commanded

"You're just ponies who can't possibly understand my situation!" Fluttershy kept crying and laughing at the same time.

"Yes…we do!" Applejack shouted

Fluttershy kept ignoring the earth pony as she tried to bite the rope off.

"Listen sugar cube…"

"I wont!" Fluttershy replied

"Fluttershy, please listen to Applejack..." The Princess added

"No!"

"Fluttershy…" The Princess said with anger building up in her voice.

"You're all evil! None of you care about anyone's well-being!"

"Fluttershy…STOP THIS NONSENSE AT ONCE!" The Princess shouted at the yellow pony as she stomped her hoof on the ground, creating a small crack on the ground in the process.

Suddenly, Fluttershy became quiet as she collapsed into tears. Applejack and the Princess looked down toward the ground, their expressions suddenly changed.

"Y…you are all...evil…" Fluttershy said as she cried. Applejack walked toward the pony and sat down next to her while the Princess stood in front of both of the ponies.

"Fluttershy, I told Applejack of her wrong doing when I found out that you were wreaking havoc across Ponyvile, but all Applejack wanted to do was to help you" The Princess explained

"No she didn't...all she ever did was laugh and say how the ant was nothing special…" The yellow Pegasus retorted

"I did at first, but then I saw how much yer were going through to bring this ant back. Fluttershy, you can't be hurting yourself like this. Just let the ant go" Applejack admitted.

"I…can't…I killed him"

"Oh my dear Fluttershy…it was all an accident, you had no intention whatsoever to kill the creature. You have to understand…when it is time for a person to leave this world, it is time" The Princess explained

"No…I can't believe that…all the animals I took care of never died, how come he did!" Fluttershy yelled

"Fluttershy…mortality lives in all of us, even I. The reason why your animals have not met the same fate as your friend here so far is because you are a good person, with good intentions for the animals you take care of" Princess Celestia explained

Fluttershy examined the dead ant on her hoof, "Can't you…bring him back…*sniff*…please" Fluttershy asked nicely

Princess Celestia brought her head down toward the ground, "Unfortunately nothing, not even the most powerful spells known to ponykind, can bring the deceased back from the dead" Princess Celestia sat with Applejack and Fluttershy on the dirt ground.

"Please…accept what happened" The princess finished

"Sugar cube, when I was younger…I had a loving mother and father…then one day…they never came back to teh farm because something bad happened to them, I had to accept their fate…just like you need to do now" Applejack looked into Fluttershy's different sized pupils.

"I…I can't" Fluttershy simply said.

"Fluttershy, when things like these happen, it is important for a pony to accept their feelings instead of going against them. I know an ant means so much to you as it does for me, but you must let the ant…go" The Princess concluded.

Fluttershy tried to ignore what she was hearing.

"Think of it from this perspective, my little pony. There is a place where the deceased go to; this land is a place where they will spend the rest of their lives in eternal happiness. Don't think this is the end for your friend, no. It is a new beginning for him" The Princess explained as she took the ant from Fluttershy's hoof.

Fluttershy's pupils returned to normal as she saw the ant disappear into a white cloud as it rose up into the air toward the heavens. Applejack and Fluttershy were mesmerized by the event in front of them. Applejack then softly removed the rope from Fluttershy and stood next to her.

"Please Fluttershy, keep doing what you love most, taking care of animals. While we are all part of nature, this is a normal process we all go through; Even you will one day leave this world and know that you made a difference for the animals you took care of. Farewell, please think about your actions today.

Fluttershy thought about the lecture, that the Princess gave, long and hard as Princess Celestia left to return to the library. Applejack stood by Fluttershy the entire time, waiting for her to feel better.

Eventually, Fluttershy accepted the idea of mortality even thought it was something she hated most in life. She made sure every animal in her cottage had an astounding day while it lasted, and she planned that every other day would be the same thing.

Applejack's prejudice for ants disappeared. Any little critter she saw running around was now a person in her perspective, never did she laugh again when Fluttershy told her that she was carrying a small insect with her and taking it home to its family.

Then the two ponies decided to write two letters to Princess Celestia. Fluttershy was the first to write a letter in Twilight's library:

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_I am deeply sorry for the disturbance I caused in Ponyvile yesterday, I already apologized to the residents for my wrong doing. What I have learned, from you, is that life is to be lived to the fullest with my friends and animals. You also taught me that I must move on, rather than to stay in the same place for too long. Acceptance is all that matters in the end._

_Fluttershy_

Then Applejack wrote her letter as Fluttershy watched behind the earth pony

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_I wanted to let ya know: yesterday I learned that a person is a person, no matter how big or small they ought to be. I'm sorry I didn't realize that sooner, but now I can rest easy knowing that Fluttershy understands. By the way, did you know that Apples can bring ants back to life! I didn't think it did until I saw it with my own darn eyes._

_Yours truly,_

_Applejack_

Applejack and Fluttershy gave the letters to Spike, who sent them to the Princess. The two ponies then left the library and began to talk as they walked down the dirt road that lead to Fluttershy's cottage.

The end


End file.
